01/29/2008 03:00 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

HCR 14-AMEND UNIFORM RULES: STANDING COMMITTEES                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:03:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION  NO. 14,  Proposing an  amendment to                                                               
the Uniform  Rules of  the Alaska  State Legislature  relating to                                                               
standing committees.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:04:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JULI  LUCKY, Staff  to Representative  Mike Hawker,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  explained that  HCR  14 will  establish a  separate                                                               
House Education  Standing Committee in  statute in order  to hear                                                               
education  issues that  the Joint  Legislative Education  Funding                                                               
Task Force  was unable to  address.  Furthermore, the  health and                                                               
social services  issues are many and  take the time of  the House                                                               
Health, Education  and Social Services  Standing Committee.   She                                                               
pointed out  that the House  and the Senate usually  have special                                                               
education  committees  to  hear   education  bills  and  the  new                                                               
standing  committee will  continue  that  responsibility for  the                                                               
House.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:06:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON expressed a bit of  concern with regard to the cross                                                               
over of education  and social services when  addressing issues of                                                               
early  development.   For bills  regarding  early development  or                                                               
social services,  she stated that  she may ask for  an additional                                                               
hearing  by  the  House Health,  Education  and  Social  Services                                                               
Standing Committee.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:07:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER  asked about  the conforming  element that                                                               
is also a part of the bill.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. LUCKY  explained that there  is a conforming name  change for                                                               
the Department of Commerce, Community, & Economic Development.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:08:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EDDY  JEANS, Director,  School  Finance  and Facilities  Section,                                                               
Department  of Education  and  Early  Development, expressed  the                                                               
support  of the  Department  of Education  and Early  Development                                                               
(EED) for HCR 14.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON closed testimony.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:09:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER  moved to report  HCR 14 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:09:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER  stated that he would  like more discussion                                                               
on  the bill.   He  asked  if anything  was done  with regard  to                                                               
putting  more professional  staff on  the existing  House Health,                                                               
Education  and Social  Services Standing  Committee.   He related                                                               
his experience as  a committee aide that changed  his support for                                                               
separating education  to a  belief in the  benefit of  having the                                                               
two together.   He  gave an  example of the  value of  having the                                                               
broad scope  of subjects discussed  together.  He  mentioned that                                                               
he will sign "no recommendation" on the bill report.